


Life in the Shadows

by ZerocielX



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-05
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2017-12-28 12:38:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/992082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZerocielX/pseuds/ZerocielX





	1. Chapter 1

**Zero: Hi.....**

**Mike: Don't 'Hi' us! You were gone for the past months!**

**Aj: Yeah!!**

**Zero: I was busy! I'm starting the story I don't want to agrue with you two!**

**Aj &Mike: Hey!**

**3**

**2**

**1**

**.**

* * *

"I expected that …" A young man around his early twenties sat on a timber that connected two house walls with each other.

"He really thinks we are so stupid." He led out a small chuckle.

"I never thought that this will be so easy." The deep voice reached the ears of a rodent with yellow fur that was positioned on the right shoulder of its cause.

"Are you ready to hunt our prey?" This time his voice was directed to his passenger. The small shadow on his left shoulder nodded and had a diabolic smile on his face.

The sunlight couldn't reach the place between the houses when the hooded figure rose from his squatting position and stood now on this timber with his full size.

He checked his hidden blade that was placed on his inner left forearm, one last time before a carriage, which was pulled by four Rapidashs, rushed through the small alley beneath the two unknown figures.

"Let's end this!" he almost whispered with an annoyed tone. After that, he jumped against the left house wall. He pushed himself away with all of his strength, using the momentum to turn around to reach the edge of the right house roof.

The hooded man then pulled himself up to reach the top of the building. Up there a great flash of sunlight greeted him. Both hunters shielded there eyes until their eyes were adapted to the light.

After that, he started to sprint across the roof and every time he reached the end of it, he jumped over the 10 feet distance between two houses. It wasn't exhausting for him; he trained his whole life for chases like this.

The carriage had a hard time to avoid all of the people that were on these streets, a lot of them carried boxes with them and the women balanced vases on their heads. All of that slowed the wagon down to a minimum speed that couldn't be compared to the one that his follower used.

The coachman was an old man whose eyes weren't the best anymore. The horses often stooped in front of a large crowd that disappeared very slowly.

This allowed the stranger to reach the perfect spot for his deadly intention, a small ledge that was located directly above the persistent coach. The crowd was pleaded by the coachman to leave the street so he could pass the road. Most of them however weren't pleased with this idea.

"This isn't his lucky day." The smirk on his face couldn't be bigger, although you couldn't see much of his face. His hood reached deep down to his nose, letting his eyes be in the shadow.

The little companion on his shoulder was almost a feet huge, had a lightning-shaped tale, two long ears with black ends, yellow fur and two red cheeks. Nevertheless, he looked as dangerous as the young man did.

"This chase was a joke; this stupid ass can't even organize an exciting escape." Again, it was unknown whether the man spoke with himself or with his rodent.

He approached the end of the ledge; he only needed to execute the last part of his mission. The only thing he had to decide now was the fact how much men had to die!

* * *

….Inside the coach ….

* * *

"Why do we stop?" an almost whining voice shouted. A middle-aged man inside the coach shivered because of this sudden stop.

"I don't know, but remember its midday already. All streets are crowded." A deep voice tried to calm his supervisor down. He wore a typical outfit for people in the 15th century, a large garment that shielded his body from the heat of the hot country. Like every man, he had a beard, but short hair.

"Are you sure that he won't find us?" his voice changed into a fearful one. Every second he looked towards the carriage door, it was visible that he feared for his life.

"We announced that we would leave across the main street, so I think that he will wait there for you." the subordinate filled his voice with confidence to cheer his employer up.

"Yes, Yes! Do you forget that he already killed two of my brothers? The only reason that I'm in that situation is the fact that I'm the 'oldest male' in this family!" he cursed the assassins under his breath.

"Calm down! There's no way that he will find us here in that remote part of this town." He stated with proud, it was his idea to take this way instead of the main road.

"Okay …. I calm down …." he sighed, there was still the chance that his life would end today.

"And don't forget!" his assistant stated, "After you are in Pewter city you'll transfer all of your powers to me, governor." the disguised man demanded everything from him.

"Okay. Okay. Fulfill your part of the agreement and I'll fulfill my part." the governor showed his contracting partner the paper that would transfer all of his powers to him. Without hesitation, he grabbed it from him to ensure himself from the authenticity.

A huge smile appeared on his face; however, it was interrupted by a crashing noise on the roof.

The disguised figure opened the left door of the carriage, only to see how an old man was hit in the head by something metallic. The force hurled him from the carriage into a market stall that was placed against a house wall.

The crowd was panicked, everyone tried to escape. In times like this, nobody wanted to be involved in some kind of crime.

The bearded man looked up to see what was going on. On top of the carriage was a small Pokémon, some sort of mouse whose tail shone.

Without hesitation, he moved back into the carriage. The eyes of the governor were filled with horror "What happened?" he screamed in fear.

Before the man with the garment could reply or even close the door, he was kicked out of the carriage by someone who swung into the cabin from the right window. The 'watchdog' flew out of the coach, crashing into a set of barrels.

The governor was frozen when he saw the man in front of him; he wore some kind of white frock. The hood covered almost his whole face, except his mouth. Over his right shoulder hung some sort of black and red cape. Despite his shock, the middle-aged man could see that the killer in front of him owed many throwing knives. All of them were positioned on his belt or on straps that ran across his upper body.

The wind blew the curtain from one of the windows away, allowing the old man to get a better look at his foe. He literally pissed his pants when he saw how the assassin extended his hidden blade that was previously covered by the cape.

"Please, spare me!" he begged with all his might, there was nothing in his voice that you could connect with proud or honor.

"Your tyranny ends now." the assassin approached his victim, aware that this would be easy.

"My tyranny? Your brood kills randomly people without any proves!" he defended himself. The last thing he tried was to appeal on his foes humanity.

"Is that so?" he asked sarcastically "If I remember correctly it's your brood who hold thousands of Pokémon and humans in slavery." he was only a few feed away from this so-called 'governor'.

"Please, I promise to ….." before he could finish his sentence he already felt the sharp blade running through his neck. He tried to stop the blood with his hands, in vain.

The world around him became darker and darker, everything extinguished. His eyes lost the shine, his whole body became lifeless.

The hooded figure pull his blade out of the wound, it was completely covered in blood. The red liquid dripped down from the metallic weapon onto an expensive carpet. .

After some seconds, the assassin used his hands to close the eyes of his latest victim. "Requiescat in pace!" were his last words before he opened the carriage door and climbed up to the roof.

His trusty rodent already awaited him. It needed only a nod from the hooded figure to signal his Pokémon what to do next.

The yellow mouse jumped off the wagon towards the Rapidashs before using his tail as a sort of whip to infuriate them to the extreme. The horses freaked out and ran away, pulling the carriage with them.

Again, it wasn't a big problem for the hooded man to keep his balance. However, all other people had a hard time to avoid the carriage this time.

After a short time, the assassin decided to leave the 'sinking ship' and jumped off the vehicle. He grabbed a small ledge of a near house and started to climb to the roof. For normal people it would be a juggling act but for him, it was only a routine.

On the roof, an old friend greeted him this time instead of the sun. It wasn't a human, although it had human features. He was two heads smaller than the assassin was, but wasn't a child though. The blue and black creature had paws instead of hands with a thorn on the back of them. He could be confused with a dog, but dogs didn't walk on two legs.

"Hello, master! I see that your mission was a success?" the smaller one asked, although he already knew the answer.

"Ah Lucario, this whole mission was boring. This asshole thought he could outsmart us, all he has done was so predictable." he sighed and shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm sorry master. " Lucario bowed.

"Not your fault! I don't get it why master oak wanted me to eliminate him so badly. He could also commission one of the novice assassins to do that. " he asked randomly.

"Don't question his decisions! He is your master after all." Lucario explained to his own 'master'.

The assassin shrugged and turned around to see what happened on the streets. The carriage, out of control, crashed into a small market. One of the doors opened and the body of the governor dropped out onto the street. Women screamed, men were disgusted at the sight of the bloody body.

Two city guards approached the scene of the crime, they looked at the dead body and whispered something. After that, they stood up and looked around, seemingly looking for the culprit.

The killer smacked his forehead when he saw the inexperienced guardians. They didn't even try to look up to the roofs.

"What do you think Lucario? These blockheads should do something for their money." the disguised assassin turned his head towards his 'servant'.

"As you like, master." Again, Lucario bowed towards his master to show his approval.

Everything happened so quick after that. The headhunter took a throwing knife and threw it with deadly precision towards the two guardians. It hit one of the men right in the head, effectively killing him without much pain.

In a state of shock, the second guardian looked up to the spot where the throwing knife came from. He saw three creatures, one man and two Pokémon. Instantly he called all of his fellow guardians. The chase could start.

They were six of them and the stranger could only smirk how the guardians tried to climb up to the roof. Thanks to Lucario, the hooded man was able to sense aura, this ability was often used among assassins. Only a few mastered it though. Commonly this is also called the 'Eagle eye'- ability.

Slowly he approached a ladder that was leaned onto the house wall. He kneeled next to it and waited, waiting for the perfect opportunity. After some seconds, he saw the face of a guardian that climbed up the ladder.

"You're under arrest!" yelled the middle-aged guardian, seemingly not notifying that this was THE assassin.

"I don't think so!" the assassin said with a casual, almost boring voice. He then grabbed the end of the ladder and pushed them slightly away, then pulled it back again. He really had a great time, making fun of those men in leggings.

"What …. are - are - are … you doing?" Stuttered the surprised guardian while holding onto the ladder with all of his might.

"See how fast a fat guy like you can fall, I guess." was the simple answer of the hooded man before he pushed the ladder far away. He heard a crashing noise and looked down, smirking. That fat person fell into another booth, saving his life in the process.

"Three market stands in one day. Very impressive master." Lucario looked down to the scenario.

"It's quiet okay, I guess." His master looked very bored. The other guardians were so unathletic that they couldn't find another way up to the roof after the ladder crashed down.

"I think that's all for today!" the disappointment in his voice was clearly to hear. He looked down one last time to see one of the guardians slipped on an apple. He chuckled but it vanished instantly. He motioned to his Pokémon to follow him.

All three of them then disappeared in the shadows of the streets.

* * *

After the trio disappeared, an old man crawled out of splintered barrels. He looked over to the destroyed carriage and noticed the dead body of his 'former' superior. All of the guardians run around like anxious chicken. The bearded man sighed, realizing that he couldn't fulfill his part of the agreement. The paper in his right hand, however, was unharmed. The paper that would transfer the powers of the governor to him.

He smirked, knowing that he got his reward. He stood up and left the place, leaving all other people in the dark about his genius plan.

* * *

… A few miles before Masyaf, headquarter of the assassins …

* * *

"I think we should set up a camp right here." suggested the leader of the trio. The commonly mode of transport were Rapidashs at this time, but one of them was enough for two Pokémon and one human.

"Like you wish, master." Lucario always gave his approval. The yellow rodent, who wasn't able to speak with human words, nodded.

"Master oak gave us 5 days for this mission and we needed only 3 of them." he chuckled, he was full of himself. He tied his horse to a tree, preventing it from escape.

"Shouldn't you be happy?" Lucario asked curiously.

"No! I think that master oak doesn't appreciate my talents." the assassin almost shouted with an angry voice, startling many Pidgeys in the process. The sun had already set and the darkness enveloped everyone.

"Pikapi chu Pika kachu?" Although he couldn't use human words, the yellow rodent could be understood by his two companions. The assassin could understand him because of his long time friendship and Lucario, of course because he was a Pokémon too.

"Do you think there aren't better missions at the moment?" he asked with great suspiciousness. He picked up several pieces of wood and piled them up onto a campfire.

The yellow mouse nodded and smiled, however it wasn't met with love from his 'trainer'.

"Master Ash, I think this mouse is right!" That was the first time that Lucario used his masters name.

"Don't call me that!" he demanded and gave Lucario a death glare "Don't dare using that name again!"

The blue and black Pokémon was shocked by his own actions. He upset his master and ignored a direct order from him. The aura Pokémon felt onto his knees and begged for mercy, feeling ashamed of his stupidity.

"Forget it!" Ash turned on his Pokémon and walked into the woods. Pikachu tried to follow him but was hold back by Lucario. The yellow rodent looked at him, receiving a 'no' from Lucario.

Ash walked slowly up to a tree. He leaned with his back against the tree, sinking down into a sitting position, resting his head onto his knees. The dark assassin who kills without hesitation seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

No one of these three exchanged words during the rest of the night. Ash returned to the camp two hours before the sunrise, looking rather depressed. Pikachu was still asleep, Lucario however sat on a stone and looked towards his silent master.

You could cut the air with a knife, although everything seemed to be normal. In a few hours, all of them would be return to their 'home'. At least it was the best place they could consider as their 'home'.

Three hours later, they left their camping spot and rode towards their destination. All of that happened without a single conversation between them. Pikachu rolled himself into a ball on the back of the horse and Lucario felt guilty for everything he said. He didn't know exactly why he wasn't allowed to call his master by his name, but he assumed that it was connected with the dark past of his mentor.

Behind a glade, they could see the 'home' of the assassins, Masyaf. After taking a deep breath, Ash alongside his companions began the last part of their journey. With every second Masyaf came closer and closer.

…

* * *

… Afternoon in Petalburg town, Maple residence …

* * *

"MAY! You stupid kid! Come down here!" a man with a harsh voice almost yelled to a kid that sat upstairs in her room.

The scared May made her way down to the man, fearing his wrath. She was a beautiful seventeen-year old girl with brown hair. Her clothes, however didn't reflect her internal beauty.

She went towards a tall man with short, brown hair. Near him was a girl around her age, she had pink/purple hair and wore very expensive clothes.

"Jessie told me that you destroyed the expensive vase in the living room." Giovanni gave this girl a death glare and already accused her of this 'crime'.

"No sir. I spent the whole day in my room." she answered with a low voice. May was scared by the man in front of her, feeling the hate and grudge that he had against her.

"Do you accuse my daughter to be a liar?" he said with a threatening voice. Giovanni loved his daughter Jessie more than everything, besides his money of course.

"No - no …. sir" May already knew that she was the victim of his bad mood. She looked towards the ground and hold back her tears, missing her 'real' parents.

"Who should then have destroyed my vase in your opinion?" that was a rhetorical question for the 'man in the house'. Jessie stood slightly behind her dad, smirking big time towards her 'stepsister'.

"I don't know sir .." the brunette replied, but right after that, she was slapped hard in the face by the tall man in front of her. She fell to the ground, crying.

Giovanni didn't feel any pity for this girl and caressed his 'real' daughter instead.

"Go to your room! Don't dare to show yourself again today! No dinner for you!" he shouted at his 'stepdaughter' and pushed her towards the stairs in an uncomfortable way. That the kid was still crying didn't bother him at all.

May then went back to her room upstairs on all fours, still sobbing. She entered her room and closed the door slowly, every other girl would smash the door but that would only make Giovanni more furious.

She fell onto her bed, which consisted of simple mattress and several blankets.

May then reached to her night table, opening the drawer. She took some kind of picture and hold it tightly to her chest. On the picture was a young May alongside two adults, seemingly her parents. The woman was pretty with brown long , brown hair that went down her back in an unruly way. The man was a tall, blue-haired one.

May wasn't able to hold back her tears. She buried her head into one of her pillows and sobbed, hoping that her 'stepfather' wouldn't hear it. She then drifted into a dream world, memories surfaced.

_/Flashback/_

_A young seven-year-old May ran into the kitchen to her mother who was sobbing. She hold a letter and stared with pure disbelief onto it. Caroline didn't even notice that her daughter ran up to her._

" _What's wrong mommy?" asked May in an unsure way._

_Caroline was shocked that May was already there. How should she tell her something that even she couldn't cope with? She wiped her tears away and hugged her daughter._

" _Mommy?" The little May was scared by her mother's behavior._

" _Oh May .." Caroline couldn't stop her tears from coming out, but you can't demand that from someone in that situation._

_May hugged her mother back, trying to comfort her. She felt that her mother shivered, something terrible had happened._

" _Why are you crying mom?" May couldn't stand this silence anymore. She wanted answers, although she would regret this decision later._

" _Norman …. Your dad ….. He won't come back …" she stuttered between her tears._

" _What do you mean Mommy? Dad always comes back. He loves us." the little brunette was completely confused, knowing that her father would never leave them alone._

" _He is gone May." Her mother hugged her daughter more and more._

_May, not completely understanding these words, didn't know what to think._

" _Where is he? Where did he go?" she asked her mother in a typical childish naïve manner._

" _He's dead May. He won't come back, because he can't." More tears bean to roll down her cheeks. To tell her own child that her father was dead was something that you couldn't express in words._

" _Dead? But mommy you always told me that dad was one of the good and the good ones never die." May repeated what her mother told her earlier when she was a small child._

" _May … your father was sergeant in the royal army. He defended our kingdom from other countries, but there was always the possibility that he could …. die." When she said the last word, her tears again broke out and dropped down onto her daughters back._

_Even in Mays eyes, you could see tears building up. She couldn't realize the whole 'forever gone' - thing yet, but something in her couldn't hold down her sadness._

_Both mother and daughter hold each other for several minutes, comforting each other in this time of despair._

_May's mother, however realized that she have to be strong, strong for her daughter._

_She squeezed her daughter one last time before she stood up and forced herself to a smile. The next few days would be the most difficult of their lives._

" _Tell me May, are you hungry?" Caroline tried to cheer her daughter up, knowing that May loves to eat. She wiped her tears away and looked down to her daughter. Although she lost her husband, she still had her wonderful daughter and she would be there for her._

_May nodded and followed her mother to the pantry. She couldn't deny that she was hungry. And at this moment, it was sealed that they would be there for each other._

_/End Flashback/_

May woke up in the middle of the night, holding one of her last remaining memorable pieces to her chest. It was a little stuffed toy that her mother gave her to her fourteenth birthday.

The little Pikachu doll meant everything to her. May kept it like a treasure. She was aware that Giovanni wouldn't allow her to owe something like that, because he hated that smile on May's face.

Although she would turning eighteen soon, she couldn't leave this place. The only way for women to leave their parents house was to marry someone.

May always dreamed of the 'true love' and her 'prince' that would rescue her from this nightmare. However, Giovanni held her stepdaughter 'hostage' and didn't allow her to meet boys or young men. He sent May to a public girl's school, so she couldn't get into contact with boys.

The most important thing for Giovanni was her daughter Jessie and her happiness. He sent her to every famous dance event, in hope that she would be engaged to some rich noble person.

Jessie got everything she wanted and May got nothing. The only thing that gave her the strength to live on were her friends at school. To her luck, Jessie was sent to a private school to meet people that are more important.

Tomorrow was Monday and she could finally meet her 'friends' again and forget for a short time her miserable situation. With that in mind, she could sleep again with that smile that Giovanni hated so much.

* * *

… Entrance of Masyaf …

* * *

"Master? …" Lucario tried to start a conversation with his silent mentor. He was depressed that the whole atmosphere was down to a new low.

He didn't receive a response from Ash.

They were only a few minutes away from the town Masyaf. They could already see the large castle that was located on top of a mountain and the small village that was at the foot of the mountain. This whole hiding place wasn't on any map and so a perfect retreat for the notorious assassins.

Although he was only twenty years old, Ash was already a 'master assassin' and he demanded that everyone would call him master instead of Ash. The only one who needn't to call him master was Ash's master himself. Master oak was the head of all assassins in Masyaf and he decided which assassin would do which mission.

They passed a large wooden gate that lead to the small village. Most of the peasantry were refugees that searched for asylum. They and the assassins were a purpose community. The brotherhood would defend the peasantries and in return, they gave them half of their grown.

"Welcome back master." a small kid greeted the returning assassin and his fellow companions.

Like Lucario, he didn't receive a response. The little kid was then dragged back to his house by his mother. Everything looked so peaceful around here, cheering the assassin up in the process.

He jumped of his Rapidash and unsaddled it. It was then lead to a stable by some novice assassin. Although it wasn't important which weekday it was you could guess that it have to be Sunday.

He breathed the fresh air and felt more relieved. This town was his home. He could forget everything from his past while being here and he considered his fellow assassins as his family.

"Let's go to master oak." said Ash and walked up the hill. It was a hard climb up to the castle, but this fact was also their biggest advantage against enemies.

"Nice to hear your voice again, master." Lucario responded and smiled. He always could count on this place to cheer his master up after he felt down.

Ash smirked towards his two Pokémon and walked towards the entrance gate of the castle. At the gate, he met one of his old friends.

"How do you do, Gary?" he asked with a casual voice, knowing that he have to behave like a master.

"Everything is fine. A little boring these days but better than a siege." he chuckled. Although Gary had two more years of experience than Ash, he couldn't be a master assassin. The reason was that Gary was afraid of heights, effectively rendering him unusable for any mission outside of Masyaf.

Again, Ash used his signature smile to show his happiness. Gary was one of his closest friends and deep in his inner, Ash was happy that Gary wasn't one of the assassins that have to risk their lives out there.

He passed the gate and walked upstairs towards the assembly hall, feeling proud of his skills. Every guardian bowed in front of him to show their respect. Most of them were older than him, but nobody could reach his level.

He crossed the hall and walked upstairs to the study room of his 'master'. When he approached them, he already saw the old man with his grey hair. He didn't now how old master oak was, nobody asked him that.

"Master Oak, I'm back. I've done as you've told me." he stood in front of the table and Lucario to his side. The yellow rodent sat on Ash's shoulder.

"Good my student." Master oak called everyone student because everyone learned from him.

Oak's smile however quickly turned into a frown.

"What's up master?" asked Ash. Everyone who had to die died.

"I heard that you killed one guardian without a reason. You made fun of them." his tone changed. The master was visibly upset about his protégés behavior.

"But master, they weren't a real danger and I already fulfilled my mission." Ash defended himself. Lucario seemed to understand master oak better than Ash, because he nodded.

"That's no excuse!" Oak shouted "Don't forget our creed!" The creed consisted mainly of three simple principles.

"I'm sorry master. This mission was so boring and I wanted some fun." he apologized but the second part of the statement wasn't a smart one.

"Boring? Never underestimate our opponents! You've become really arrogant over the last year, Ash." Master oak was really pissed off when he used his protégés name.

Ash gritted with his teeth, but didn't say anything. He was the student and he did something wrong. Now he had to live with the consequences.

Somehow, the smile on master oaks face returned. He almost smirked and then turned to Ash who was really puzzled at the sudden change of events.

"So …" Oak started "You are bored? You have enough from these little missions?"

Ash didn't know how to react or what master Oak wanted to tell him. He simply nodded, hoping the best for him.

"You want it? You got it!" he laughed, master Oak really laughed.

Lucario was as dumbfounded as his 'master' who couldn't say a word. Both decided to laugh alongside their boss. Like always, Pikachu was confused and looked from Ash to Lucario to Oak.

Suddenly the master stopped and looked at his student with a serious look.

"I hope that the next mission is more suitable to your taste." he said with a stern voice. The sudden change in his mood was something that nobody could predict, not even an aura Pokémon like Lucario.

"What is your desire master?" Ash returned to his student role and tried to take full advantage of the situation.

"You'll be heading to Petalburg town!" Oak said with a casual voice. Ash frowned, he had heard that city name somewhere but he couldn't remember when.

"For your information. Petalburg is the home of the royal family." he explained towards the silent assassin, who was shocked by this sudden twist of fate.

"But master … There are more guardians than anywhere else." Ash was confused. No assassin so far could fulfill a mission in Petalburg. Everyone was killed or captured by the royal guards.

"Are you afraid?" Oak began to tease his best student.

"No, master." Ash was hurt in his honor after hearing this.

"You'll start your mission tomorrow! You'll infiltrate the city and assassinate certain people." Oak started his explanations but was soon interrupted by Ash.

"Do you want me to kill king Cyrus?" he suggested. The king was a bad one and everybody hoped that he would abdicate his position but that would never happen.

"That would be a suicide mission, even for you." Master oak could estimate the skills of his pupils. He knew that Ash was the best but without experience in such a big city, Ash was doomed to fail.

Ash said nothing. His master didn't believe in him like he wanted him to do.

"Your first target is a man called 'Butch'. He is the leader of a merchant guild, but we already figured out that he also trade humans and Pokémon." Oak always knew more than anybody in Masyaf, but that was the reason that he was THE master.

"Okay master. He'll die." said Ash with a cold voice. He never questioned the decisions of his master, at least not the one concerning his victims.

"You won't kill him immediately!" Oak shouted at him, taking him by surprise. "We want you to get as much information about him as possible."

"Isn't that unnecessary? " asked Ash. Why do they need information about him, when he will die anyways.

"It's necessary! We think that Butch is part of a huge conspiracy." That caught Ash's attention. A conspiracy in the middle of the kingdom?

"Yes, there are also other people involved but you will kill them one for one." the head of the assassins ordered.

"Like you wish master." Ash had his next destination and it would be a tough one.

"After every single murder you'll sent a Pidgey with a message to me." The master turned towards the little cages. He always used Pidgeys as carrier pigeons.

"After I received your message I'll sent you the next name on the list." Ash wondered how many victims he would have to kill in order to stop this conspiracy. Lucario listened carefully. He didn't want to ask his 'master' for the information, because he tried to be the perfect servant for him.

"It's good that your face isn't well-known in Petalburg, so be careful and don't waste your disguise." Master oak never missed a chance to give some last minute advice to the younger assassins.

"I won't master." Ash was ready to leave but was stopped by his master again.

"And Ash! Do you remember that little Pidgey that you saved some time ago?" Oak looked into the eyes of his protégé. He always knew when somebody tried to lie to him.

"Of course master. How could I forget?" he answered. He looked down to the floor and was lost in his thoughts.

_/Flashback/_

" _Come on Lucario! We have to hurry if we want to reach Masyaf before sunset." Ash shouted to the Pokémon who was visibly exhausted._

" _Sorry master, but our last battle really demanded everything from me." Lucario said and it started to rain._

" _It's your fault! If you didn't messed up that Aura sphere we would still have our Rapidash." The assassin yelled towards his aura Pokémon._

" _I'm sorry master. I promise to become stronger … " With that Lucario fainted and fell down onto his belly._

_The dark assassin didn't realized it until he missed the attempts of his Pokémon to apologize to him. He ran back to see the Aura Pokémon on the ground._

_The rain changed into a downpour and the clouds became darker with the second. Ash never showed his soft side, but with Lucario unconscious and Pikachu back home, he could do the right thing. He took Lucario into a Fireman's carry position and carried him towards a small cave._

" _Hold on Lucario." he whispered quietly. He reached the cave and put his trusty Pokémon onto a ground. He also took his cape and used it as a bedcover for his exhausted Pokémon._

_After that, he left the cave in search for some dry firewood, but with the downpour, it wasn't an easy task. He needed much more time than expected but he still find some dry wood._

_He was ready to head back but something caught his attention. A quiet noise, nothing against the loud thunder. It was almost a twitter of a bird._

_Ash decided to look for the cause of it and reached a clearing in the forest. Near a tree, he found a little bird, tweeting for his life._

_The assassin found a bird's nest only a few feet away. It had to be blown down by the wind. Although his aura ability wasn't the best Ash couldn't sense any Pokémon in the vicinity._

_That was the first time that Ash felt pity for someone else than his companions. He took that little bird and after a second look, he saw that it was a baby Pidgey. It had one broken wing after it fell down to the ground._

_The little Pidgey was scared by the thunder and lightning and searched for a save spot between Ash's hands. Ash decided to take him back to the cave alongside the firewood. He was able to make a suitable campfire and after that, he built a little bracer for the wing of the Pidgey._

_After some hours, Lucario woke up and saw his happy master. That was a rare sight for him and deep down he knew that his master loved him._

_Ash soon realized that his traveling companion was awake and changed his mood again._

" _You caused a lot of trouble Lucario." he said with a stern voice, but Lucario knew that he was acting._

" _Sorry master." Lucario answered with a smile._

" _Do you think master Oak could take care of this injured Pidgey?" Ash changed the topic and pointed towards the little bird. It had already fall asleep and seemed so happy._

" _I'm sure he will." responded Lucario and looked to the outside. It was already night but the rain had stopped. In the end, his master showed his true colors and his concern for the safety of his 'friends'._

_/End of Flashback/_

Ash finally got back to reality and looked at Oak, rather concerned. What could had happen to this Pidgey. Could it be that it didn't survive after all?

"What is with him master oak?" Ash tried to hide his concern under his stern voice but Oak could see right through him.

"He finally grew up." he answered with proud, because this Pidgey was something special.

He pointed towards the window and Ash could hear the noise of wing-beats. He approached the window and looked to the outside. What he saw wasn't a Pidgey, but it was a Pidgeot. And it was a really big one, because Ash looked like a small mouse in comparison to him.

"Is that you Pidgey?" Ash asked unsure. He couldn't believe that this little Pidgey had evolved into such an amazing Pokémon.

Pidgeot nodded and landed on the ledge, surprising Lucario and Pikachu in the process. The large bird caused so much wind that even Pikachu had a hard to time to clench onto his masters shoulder.

Then the unthinkable happened, Ash hugged Pidgeot with all of his might. Even Pidgeot wasn't prepared for that one but welcomed the embrace.

"I'm so glad that you're okay." Ash almost sobbed, but instantly he realized that he wasn't alone. His reputation was in danger and so he finished the embraced and stepped back.

"I mean … oh …. It's good to see that you're alright." he said with his typical dark voice, although it was already too late to fool the others. Ash felt a little bit embarrassed by his own behavior and even blushed a little.

"So Ash. I already asked Pidgeot and he would be honored to help you on your mission." Master Oak broke the silence and crossed his arms, because he knew that the team of Ash, Pikachu, Lucario and Pidgeot would be unstoppable.

The assassin turned to his master and then back to Pidgeot with a surprised look.

"Do you really want to follow me?" he asked in pure disbelieve. His whole mission would be much easier with a bird like him and he always wished to fly. That was one last remaining childhood wish of him.

Pidgeot responded with a loud squeal. Lucario was happy to see the human side of his mentor instead of his cold killer side.

"You should go to bed. All of you. Tomorrow will be a long day." Master Oak suggested and sat down on his desk to read some letters.

"No problem master. With Pidgeot I will only need two days to Petalburg instead of two weeks with a Rapidash." his voice was filled with enthusiasm and his face was decorated with a wonderful smile. It was like he found a family member again.

Pidgeot returned to his sleeping place, which was located near the center of the city. Lucario and Pikachu preferred to sleep in the same room with her master. After all, it was their task to save him if something happens.

There was no minute in Masyaf when everybody slept. At least 20 assassins had guard duty, because assassins were considered by the whole kingdom as outlaws. To kill one of them wasn't a crime after all.

Back in his cabin, Ash undressed himself, revealing his face. He wasn't ugly, rather the opposite. But it was the highest priority of an assassin to keep his identity a secret.

"I will take a bath." He said towards his Pokémon. Pikachu nodded and rolled himself into a ball onto his master's bed. Lucario used some kind of camp bed. It was enough for him.

After a few minutes, Ash's bath was ready and Ash stepped into the bathtub. The water wasn't warm at all but you couldn't get anything. After all of his adventures you could see the scars and bruises on his body and all of them had an own story, but Ash didn't like it to remember them.

He only needed several minutes to get ready, feeling the tiredness. He then returned to his cabin and laid himself down onto his bed with one simply thought.

_Is that the last time I see all of this …_


	2. Chapter 2

**Zero: Hi...Bye...**

**Mike: That's all you say?!**

**Aj: After being gone for a long time?!**

**Mike: Say something for your self sir!**

**Zero: I'm tried and sick....**

**Aj &Mike: WHO CARES!**

* * *

 

 

 

 

 

          The next morning was not something special, whether in Masyaf or Petalburg. The time difference between these two places is two hours and Masyaf was located east in the world.

Lucario was the first to wake up, because he was the 'servant' and had to make everything ready for the upcoming journey. He was not upset with his role and so he gathered what you need to kill someone properly.

At first he counted, the throwing knifes of his master. He owed 15 overall and on his last mission, he used seven of them. Lucario thought about their next destination and he knew that his master would need all 15 of them on their first day.

The blue Pokémon went to the armory and searched for the 'deadly' knifes, but he could not find them. They had a great amount of weapons in Masyaf. He spotted cannons, cannonballs, bows, arrows, gunpowder, spears, poison and swords.

After quiet some time he finally found the box with the knifes and took seven of them out. He thought about the possibility to take a bow and arrows with him. He didn't know whether his master was good at archery or not.

Before he could decide, someone interrupted him.

"Good morning Lucario. I see that you are already at the preparations." The voice belonged to Lucarios master who looked rather nervous today.

"Morning master! I hope I didn't wake you up." Lucario was always concerned about everything he did.

"Actually I woke up, because I'm really excited about today." Ash replied.

"Don't worry master. I already got the throwing knifes and ….." The aura Pokémon was again interrupted by the assassin, but Lucario was never upset about that.

"I thought you know that there are two things that I always choose by myself?" The hooded 'master' asked, but he wasn't mad. Lucario almost sensed some sort of sympathy from his 'master'.

"I always choose my collaborators and my weapons by myself. I trust you Lucario but caution is better than hindsight." Ash took the throwing knifes from Lucario and placed them into the brackets of his straps.

The little 'student' was unsatisfied with himself. Again he did something wrong and although his master didn't punish him he was sure that he can do better than that.

Ash looked around, saw the different kind of weapons, and was amazed that he never realized them. He almost used his hidden blade and throwing knifes for every mission, but now he needed more.

"Do you think I'm good at archery?" asked the white assassin and reviewed the bow in his hands.

"I think the only way to find out is to try it." Lucario was surprised by his casual tone, but he liked it. It represented him more like a friend than a servant.

"Right! I hope it works. I can't throw a knife 100 feet away." he chuckled and took an arrow quiver. He walked to the door, but before he left the room, he saw something.

"Lucario, could you take some of the poison bottles with you? And one of the swords and one of the daggers …." Ash really wanted everything for his mission and Lucario felt like a servant again.

"Okay, master … Ash." Lucario said the last part after Ash left the room.

At the training ground ….

The training ground was located in front of the assembly building and many novice assassins there tried to reach the skills of their idol: Master Ash.

The whole thing consisted of an archery facility, a place for close combats, obstacles courses, several training dummies and several other practice methods. It was the perfect spot to learn everything you need to kill someone and survive.

"It's quite some time that I've been here. "Revealed Ash to his two companions. The lie-abed Pikachu had waked up several minutes ago and accompanied his 'master' to this 'forgotten' place.

"That's right master, but I think this time is perfect to use the training opportunities again." Lucario said with a deep concerned voice. He didn't know why, but he had some kind of bad foreboding.

"Let's hope that these newcomers don't distract us too much." The assassin couldn't stand these newbies; they always thought that they could be as good as he could.

"Master, Can you give me some advice for my sword fighting?" And there was the first one ….

"No, master should give me some advices about my free running training!" The second …

It was Lucarios time to save his master from these idiots. He put himself in front of Ash and tried to calm the mass of untrained down.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but my master won't answer your questions because he is here to try his skills as an archer." Lucarios answer made the 'students' curious.

It was well known that Ash was a natural, because everything that he tried was a success. And now they got the chance to see it right in front of them.

"Oh, great Lucario. Now I got several onlookers." Ash grumbled because he didn't like this feeling to be the centre of attention.

"I'm sorry master." Lucario kneeled down so that his head touched the ground. Pikachu tried to comfort his aggrieved companion without success.

Ash shrugged and took the bow and an arrow. The target was 150 feet away, that's the distance for advanced archer but he was the master and couldn't start with the beginner distance. He put the arrow near the bowstring and strained it, hoping that it wouldn't tear. Ash closed one of his eyes to get a better perspective. His breathing became slower and everything around him became silent, putting him into some kind of trance. He couldn't hear the cheering crowd or the wind. He realized that the wind came from the left side and he instinctively aimed a little to the left. After some seconds, that felt like minutes, he let loose of the string and the arrow shot with incredible force towards his target.

The next thing he heard were cheers and applause, coming from the novice assassins. He hit the target right in the middle, leaving everyone in amazement.

"Very good master. Again you proved to be a natural in everything you do." Lucario was relieved that it didn't end in an embarrassing moment for Ash, because it would be his fault.

"Whatever Lucario, but I think it's a difference whether you hit an object or a moving guardian!" The master assassin could never be satisfied with his actions.

"Of course master, you're right." the aura Pokémon bowed.

"As much as I want to try out my sword fighting skills we have to go now." This was just an excuse from Ash to leave all of the 'students' behind him. Of course, the crowd was disappointed but nobody wanted to argue with a man who killed over 100 different people in the past.

Lucario and Pikachu followed their master to the outside of the castle, wondering what awaited them.

"Shouldn't we inform master Oak that we start now?" Lucario wondered.

"He doesn't have to know and I'm sure it's enough to send him a Pidgey after we killed the first one on our list." That was the Ash everybody knew. It never bothered him to say goodbye to someone or not.

The middle-sized Pokémon carried all of the weapons and the yellow rodent already occupied his regular place on Ash's shoulder.

All of them reached the place outside the building and the master assassin called for his third companion.

"PIDGEOT!? We're ready to leave." He shouted and waited for an answer. This was the first time that he won't use a Rapidash, but flying is better than riding.

It took the large bird only a few seconds to respond to this order. Without hesitation, he flew down to his master and lowered his back, allowing the three to climb up his back.

They threw one last glance towards their 'home' that they wouldn't see for an unknown amount of time. They left without much hustle, leaving everyone in ignorance about their next quest.

And so it begins …..

* * *

Early morning; Maple residnce

* * *

The bright sunbeams found their way through the curtains and woke up a certain brunette, who couldn't wait to leave this house of horror. She sat up and looked around, hoping that this never-ending nightmare would stop. She knew however, it wouldn't happen.

She threw the bed sheets away and walked to a small water bucket. Giovanni never spent a penny on her and so she didn't have a bathroom, a wardrobe or anything.

May washed her face and hands, trying to get rid of the smell that the house put on her.

She only got two different sets of clothing, but May made the best out of her situation. It wasn't a secret that the young brunette was a beauty and she was very famous before fate took her parents away.

Before she left her room, she hid her little Pikachu doll under her bed cover. Her 'family photo' was put back into the drawer.

The next thing was the most difficult one, because she had to see her 'sister'.

May walked down the stairs, expecting the worst after Giovanni accused her to break the vase yesterday. For her surprise, the little devil and Giovanni weren't in the kitchen and she couldn't spot some of the servants.

The brunette looked around, wondering whether she had overslept or not.

On the kitchen table, however was a little note and it was addressed to May.

_Jesse and I were invited to a dance event in the royalty. It's appropriate that you won't get a breakfast after the events yesterday. You can be happy that I'm so generously. And don't dare to eat something! Persian will make sure that you won't do anything stupid. Feed her before you left the house!_

After finishing the letter, May was both happy and depressed. She was happy because she didn't have to see Jesse and her stepfather, but depressed that she wouldn't get something to eat.

Persian, Giovanni's favorite pet and Pokémon, was sleeping right in front of the pantry, making it impossible to get something out of it. May couldn't stand this cat, but it was mutual. The brunette however couldn't ignore the wish of her stepfather, because it wasn't a wish but a command.

She tried to suppress her own hunger and walked towards a cupboard that was filled with Pokémon food. It was a completely cupboard for this light brown cat with the black ears.

She took one of the container and opened it, waking the cat up in the process. Persian licked her teeth, because she knew that this girl had to do everything for her.

May put some of the food into a bowl and went to the cat, although she was afraid of her. She approached the cat, but she heard Persian growl instead of purr.

The last maple put the bowl near the cat, but unfortunately, she couldn't get her hand away quick enough. She was scratched by the cat and her hand started to bleed heavily.

May wanted to cry, but who should comfort her? She ran upstairs and grabbed her backpack before she left the house, leaving the horror behind her.

Persian looked after her before she focused her attention back to her food. The evolution of Meowth didn't have problems to eat all of the food by herself and after two minutes, she was finished. The cat was satisfied with herself and licked off her paws before she rolled up into a ball of fur again.

Everyone was well fed, with the exception of a poor girl …..

* * *

Border between the Kanto and Hoenn kingdoms

* * *

Ash and his fellow 'friends' decided to take a break before they would cross the border of the two kingdoms. He ordered his Pidgeot to land near the border control.

"Normally I would have to bribe the border guards, but I think it will be much easier to fly over the border." The assassin with the white frock explained to his Pokémon.

"It's quite a while that we traveled so far away." Lucario remembered the times when he and Ash had to travel to the Jotho kingdom to assassinate the refugees from the Kanto kingdom.

"Right, but we had never been to the Hoenn kingdom, let alone Petalburg town." The assassin thought about the next days.

The yellow rodent known as Pikachu looked for some berries, but unfortunately, he attracted the attention of a patrolling guard that searched for illegal invaders.

The electro-type tried to confuse the guard with some Quick attacks, but he couldn't shake him off. After some back and forth the guard spotted the camp of some Kanto natives and approached them.

"Master, I sense an unfamiliar aura that walks to this place." Lucario turned into the direction and prepared for a fight. Pidgeot noticed the tension in the air and fluttered with his wings, ready to take off at any moment.

Ash took one last sip from his mug before he stood up and reached for his sword. That seemed to be the perfect time to see how good he is at sword fighting. But at first he had to see what kind of opponent he has to face.

They heard the rustling of a bush before they spotted their familiar Pikachu.

"Lucario, it's only Pikachu." Ash shook his head and released his grip on his hilt. He couldn't explain to himself why Lucario said that this was an unfamiliar aura.

A few seconds later a giant-like man appeared out of nowhere and looked at the four unwelcome guests.

"Who are you?" You could see that he was a Hoenn guardian, because he wore a red chain armor. Kanto royalty color was brown, Jotho's blue, Hoenn's red and Sinnoh's yellow.

"We're just some travelers." Ash hoped that this was enough to satisfy the guardian. It would be no problem to eliminate him, but he didn't want to pull attention.

"Can I see your passport?" The predecessor pf the normal passport consisted of the signature, hometown, name and location of the person.

Ash was puzzled by that question, he never had a passport and it would be a stupid idea for an assassin to have one unless it was a forgery. He wasn't used to that kind of situation and he played with the thought of killing the man. He decided to talk to him at first, before he made hasty decisions.

"Why should I show you a passport? I don't want to cross the border!" Ash lied, but the guardian couldn't prove the opposite.

"That doesn't matter! Everyone who approaches the border in a range of 3 miles have to show his passport!" His voice became more serious, and he took the hilt of his sword.

"Who decided that?" That question was really stupid, because there was only one who could change legislation of the border.

"The almighty king Cyrus of course." The Hoenn native stated with proud and smirked towards the stranger.

"But that's here is Kanto and not Hoenn." Ash became inpatient with the guardian. He lowered his tone and he knew that the opportunity of solving the problem without violence shrank with the second.

"Do you question king Cyrus decisions?" The red guardian approached the stranger and they were only a few feet away from each other.

In this moment Ash made his decision and he was ready to kill this bastard of a guardian. Lucario only needed to look into his masters eyes to know what he was about to do.

Ash extended his hidden place and targeted his victim. His target was the kidney of the huge man, because he would faint within one second and didn't have the opportunity to scream in pain.

He pushed the blade into the mans stomach but Ash underestimated the armor of the guardian and the blade slide off. The assassin was shocked but he immediately aimed for the unprotected neck of the man. The situation heated up and the man realized that he was facing an assassin, noticing the danger in front of him.

The large man dodged the next attack and ran away into the direction of the border.

"Fuck!" This reaction didn't surprise anyone. Ash was furious, because he did a rookie mistake and the guardian would inform the others.

"Should I follow him master?" Lucario asked and made himself ready to trace the man.

"Of course!" The Masyaf native crunched with his teeth, because he knew that he made things much more complicated and that he couldn't keep his travel time.

Pikachu looked really guilty, but you couldn't change things that happened. Ash commanded his Pidgeot to wait for him and the other three started to hunt their 'new prey'.

 _How could I be so stupid?.._ Ash asked himself. He knew that this man wore an armor, but nevertheless he aimed for a spot that was covered by a chain mail.

"Damn! I lost him. Lucario, try to locate him with your aura. It's obvious that he knows this place better than us." Ash already knew every town in the Kanto kingdom, but a small forest was too much for him.

"Okay master!" Lucario immediately concentrate his aura and closed his eyes. At first he sensed a few Pidgeys and he decided to search a bigger area. After two minutes he felt the presence of multiple men.

"Master, I found the guardian but it seems that he is already with his fellow guards!" The aura Pokémon finished his search and informed his master who started to chuckle.

"What's the reason?" Lucario was puzzled and looked confused to his master.

"Do you really think that we would make it to Petalburg town without killing a few people?" His smile turned into a frown, because their mission started right here.

"Why do you want to kill them master? We could fly over the border and nobody would notice it." The blue Pokémon discussed this topic with his master, but he was doomed to fail with his arguments.

"You have to learn a lot of things about discretion." Ash approached his Lucario "What do you think would happen if we let them alive?"

"I think they would search everywhere and inform the king that they spotted an assassin near the border …. Oh." The aura Pokémon finally got it and bowed in front of his master.

"That's right! They would be looking for us before we even reach Petalburg town." Ash clarified some things with his Pokémon "Tell me Lucario! How many guardians are there?"

"They are seven." replied Lucario and looked into the direction where he sensed the auras before.

"It's probably really good that we met them. It can't harm us to warm up before we enter the Hoenn kingdom." Ash took his bow and some arrows before he walked into the direction that Lucario showed him.

They walked through the forest before they reached a free precincts. The border wasn't very impressive, because it consisted only of some barbed wire fences and wooden fences.

The important building was a small lodge in the middle of the road. Ash saw the guardian that ran away and he was talking with three of his fellow companions.

Even Pikachu couldn't hear what they were talking, but Ash could see that one of them entered the house and the remaining three guardians approached the forest. That meant that three men were outside the house and four men inside it.

"What do you suggest master?" Lucario wasn't so experienced like his master and asked him as often as possible.

"At first we have to eliminate these three. That shouldn't be a problem and after that we have to kill the remaining four. But we can think about that later!" Ash used such a casual tone when he spoke about killing people, but he never did something else in his life.

"And who should be the first, mas …." Before Lucario could finish the sentence he heard the sizzling noise of an arrow and one second later he saw that one guardian was hit in the neck with it. The deadly wounded man grabbed the arrow but he hadn't the power to pull it out.

"That's answered my question about moving targets." The smile on Ash's face couldn't be bigger but they still had two men to go.

The two Hoenn natives were shocked, but they knew that this was one more reason to kill this assassin without hesitation.

"They aren't so easily frightened like the last ones!" Ash noticed that, but he got a nice idea about his next move. He pulled one of the poison bottles out of his frock and dripped some of it onto one of his throwing knifes. He was aware that this was a fast-acting poison and he had to be careful while using it.

Lucario watched every single movements of his master. He never realized that Ash could be innovative like that, but he knew that drastic times need drastic methods.

"Pikachu, could you lure one of the guardians away?" Pikachu was always good as a lure but Ash knew that his yellow rodent was able to protect himself. "If anything happens you can paralyze him."

The electro-type nodded and ran past the guardian that spotted them before and lured him to a remote place. The other guardian looked to the bushes where the rodent came out.

He used his halberd to stick into the bush, but he should know better than that. One second later and he felt the sharp end of a knife in his leg. He pulled it out of the wound and threw it away. But the poison was already inside his bloodstream.

"Your bastard of assassin, do you believe that this little knife can stop us?" He started to laugh, but suddenly he got problems to breath and felt onto his knees. The guardian writhed in pain and spat blood, before his movements stopped.

"This poison is good." Lucario noticed and looked for some money. His master didn't order him to do that, but he thought it would be good to have some money when they arrive at their destination.

"Let's go to Pikachu." Ash said.

They arrived soon and saw a guardian who seemed to be paralyzed. Pikachu stood near the guardian and was happy that his master was back.

"I think we should ask him some questions, before we eliminate him." Ash approached the man and leaned against a tree.

"Tell me why Cyrus is so afraid of invaders." He intentionally didn't say king.

"It's king Cyrus for you! " The guardian answered in pain, but he kept his honor.

"Doesn't matter to me. Does your precious 'king' plan something?" Ash mocked his enemy while using a silly voice to embarrass the Hoenn native.

"Shut up! I won't say anything to you, you son of a bitch!" Ash's smile turned upside down and Lucario didn't know if his master could keep his cool after this comment. To Lucarios surprise Ash didn't go ballistic.

"Really? Then I don't see a reason to keep you alive." Ash said with a cold voice and his smile returned. He always used this tactic to force someone to speak. Lucario and Pikachu smirked because they knew that he won't be alive either way.

Ash extended his hidden blade and approached the man until he was only one feet away. The guardian now had to prove if he loves his king as much as his own life.

"Please don't! King Cyrus planned some kind of war but I don't know against who and when. You have to believe me!" The man began to beg, but that didn't surprise Ash, because Cyrus isn't a king for that you would sacrifice your own life.

"Okay, I believe you …" Ash said and the guardian sighed in relief " … but I think my blade doesn't!" With these words he stabbed the man and within seconds he killed his third men today. The guardian fell down and didn't move.

Ash seemed to be lost in his thoughts until Lucario broke the silence "What do you think about that master? This whole war thing …"

But Ash didn't respond and kept looking onto the ground. He still heard these four words 'Son of a bitch'. Painful memories from his past haunted him again.

_/Flashback/_

_The small nine-year-old Ash lived in his hometown. Pallet town was more a village than a town, but he loved it._

_It was past midnight and Ash should already sleep, but loud noises woke him up from his dream world. He was afraid and hid under his bed, unable to move one inch. Suddenly he heard a crashing noise, seemingly from the house door._

_He was afraid and didn't dare to look for the reason, hoping that this would be a nightmare. Ash then heard a loud scream and he was shocked because it belonged to his mother. The little boy wanted to jump up but he hit the bed with the top of his head._

_The last thing he heard before he passed out was his mother, calling his name_

_Ash …. Ash … Ash …_

* * *

_/End of Flashback/_

"Master Ash!" Lucario started to shake his master, because he didn't respond for over 5 minutes now. After some seconds Ash woke up from his trance and thought he was attacked by someone. He pushed Lucario to the ground, pinning him by his arms. He held his blade onto his throat before he realized that this was actually one of his closest companions.

"Sorry Lucario, it was only ….. " Ash tried to explain himself but Lucario waved him off, because he could understand that Ash had a scary past.

"No problem master, but I think it's time to take care of the remaining four men." He looked to the small house that contained their enemies. Four men at the same time could be a problem, although Ash was superior in experience and quickness.

"Right, but I think I have an idea for a new combination." Ash smirked and took his bow. He went to the side of the house, looking for a window. The Pokémon followed him without hesitation and were curious about his 'plan'.

"Perfect …" he mumbled when he saw the window and all of the guardians were in the same room. He put his hand onto Lucarios shoulder and explained his plan.

"I will tell you our method!" The assassin motioned his Pokémon to him. "Lucario, you will shoot an aura sphere into the window and with some luck it will cause a lot of smoke. The guardians will be forced to run out without their weapons and that will be Pikachus cue. You will paralyze them with your thunder wave and I will have enough time to kill them from the distance with my bow or the throwing knifes." The plan was simple but effective.

All members went to their respective positions. Pikachu went near the door and waited for his use. Lucario focused his aura between his paws and waited for the sign. Ash took his bow and targeted the entrance door before he whistled into the direction of Lucario.

The time had come and Lucario shoot the aurasphere into the window, causing a loud bang and a lot of smoke. The first part of their plan was a success and Pikachu waited for the right time to use thunder wave on all of the guardians.

"What is it taking so long?" Ash became inpatient and he lost his concentration, lowering the bow in the process. Are these men so stupid or did the aurasphere killed them?

"Wait there Lucario!" The assassin ordered and went to the house, but with much care. He wouldn't underestimate these Hoenn natives again.

He sneaked to the house wall and leaned himself against it before moving closer to the window. The smoke made it difficult for him to see something, but Ash was sure that he didn't spot these four men. He jumped onto the ledge and was ready to enter the house, but before he could do so he was smashed in the face with a wooden chair.

"Master/Pikapi." Lucario and Pikachu screamed in union because their master was in great danger. Ash flew backwards and landed on his neck, but he was to athletic to be knock out by that.

"Fucking assholes!" he cursed all of the guardians and removed the wooden splinters from his clothes. All of their enemies jumped through the window opening, one looked more dangerous than the other did.

Lucario could see why their plan backfired because the guards used some clothes to cover their mouths. They seemed to be trained for this kind of situations, but Ash was ready to take on them.

Lucario and Pikachu ran to come to the aid of their master, but the guardians knew about them and opened the shed door, releasing two Houndooms. The first one used a Tackle attack to push Pikachu away and the second Houndoom used Flamethrower on Lucario. The half steel-type couldn't help his master who was alone against four stronger opponents.

Ash was surround by the four men, but he was ready to fight and even to die. He drew his sword and waited for the right moment. His only advantage was his speed and agility, because he couldn't win a direct exchange of blows.

The guardians circled around him like vultures a cadaver, but no one wanted to land the first hit. Ash remembered a part of his training and he would use it to full potential here. At first he looked for the weakest one, using fear as his allied.

"You little namby-pamby there!" he looked to the smallest of the squad "I'm sure that you still wet your pants. " That wasn't a very original quote, but it would do his job.

Lucario and Pikachu still battled the 'dogs' and looked in horror when they saw one of the guardians attacked their master. What they didn't know was the fact that Ash planned this whole thing.

The guard forgot all of his lessons about defense and counter and so he was an easy victim for the sword of the 'master' . He ran virtually into his opponent's sword, injuring him heavily.

Ash immediately used the astonishment of his remaining three foes, swung his sword around, and cut the throat of another guard. The last thing the large man did was to hold onto his throat but he couldn't stop the flow of blood.

Two more rounds to go and Ash turned to the next enemy, but he didn't expect him to be so quick. The assassin was surprised and did a step backwards, but the tip of the sword reached his skin. It slid down over his left eye, causing lot of blood to drop down to the earth. Ash tried to regain his composure, but he couldn't open his left eye and so he let it closed. The situation had a sudden change of events, but everyone knew that a wounded lion was the most dangerous one.

The next few seconds went very fast and Ash was able to use one of his throwing knifes to eliminate another foe, but he couldn't see the last enemy. He turned around and saw the sword cut. His attempt to parry it failed and he felt backwards. The sword flew away and landed several feet away from him.

Ash was pushed into a corner and Lucario and Pikachu couldn't do anything to aid there master in his second of need. He tried to extend his hidden blade but the guardian stomped onto his hand, making it impossible for him to use it.

The master assassin couldn't believe it, he would die before he actually started his mission. He underestimated everything and now he would die and nobody could save him, but he won't beg for his life.

"Any last words?" asked the guardian while he took a swing with his sword.

Ash didn't respond but spat into the face of the man, infuriating him.

Lucario was able to hit an aurasphere on one of the Houndooms and it threw him back into a rock. The yellow rodent was able to hit an iron tail on his 'dog' .

But they weren't able to stop the attack on their master and Ash looked straight into his foes eyes, trying to scare him with his attitude or dying with honor. The sword came crashing down on Ash, but it never reached him when the guardian was grabbed by someone.

The man screamed when he was thrown with high speed into the house wall, killing him with ease after his head hit the hard stalls.

Lucario and Pikachu sighed in relief, but who saved their master? Ash used his good eye to look up and saw a huge Pokémon, but it wasn't some Pokémon. It was his trusty Pidgeot who saved his life.

"Thank you Pidgeot, I think we are even now." he smiled and covered his bad eye with his hands.

"Master, are you alright?" Lucario was concerned and Pikachu noticed the blood on his master's face. It was terrifying for him to see his best 'friend' in that condition.

"I'm fine. It could be worse, I guess." he joked.

"But what is with your eye?" Lucario tried to help his master to his feet. He couldn't forgive himself if his master died today and he felt completely useless after today events.

"I think my eye is alright, but I'm sure it will be a nice scar." Blessing in disguise for the hooded man who still had two eyes but the scar that went vertically across his left eye would always remind him of today.

"I'm sorry master. I was completely useless and it's my fault." Lucario was ready to blame himself for every bad event today.

"You know that this isn't true Lucario!" Ash yelled, because he was unsatisfied with himself "I made a lot of rookie mistakes today."

"But master …." Lucario was interrupted by his master.

"No 'buts' Lucario. Nobody of us was killed and everything could be much worse." Ash looked around and realized that this place looked like a battleground.

"We shouldn't leave like that. I think it would attract to much attention." Ash kicked a helmet away and looked to the house.

"What do you suggest master?" Lucario, Pidgeot and Pikachu eagerly awaited the decision of their 'friend'.

"We should drag all of the bodies into the house and set it on fire, but it has to look like an 'accident'." It would be a great solution, because nobody would be distrustful after seeing this 'accident'.

"Okay, master. Let's do it." Lucario said and began to pull one of the dead into the house. He thought it would be a good idea to put him onto a chair in a sitting position to make it more believable.

After all guardians were placed into the house, even those they had killed in the forest, they set it on fire. They used a candle to spark the fire inside the house and after a few minutes the whole building was covered by flames.

"Good job everyone." Ash praised his Pokémon and crossed his arms while watching the fire. It took a lot of time, but they were sure that nobody would know about their coming.

"Can you open your eye master?" Lucario asked him the twentieth time.

"Maybe, but it hurts like hell and I think it wouldn't harm me to close it until tomorrow." Ash took his weapons and walked back to their camp. Everyone followed him.

Afternoon turned to evening, but the group of assassins couldn't rest near the border anymore.

"Pidgeot, could you take us over the border, but I think two hours are enough and after that we will rest for the night." Ash suggested. The large bird nodded and leaned forward. The human and the two Pokémon climbed up his back and the Pidgey evolution took off.

Their first day of traveling was a rough one, but nobody said that this would be an easy mission.

* * *

At the Public girl's school in Petalburg

* * *

May was happy, although she was starving. She would see her best friend today and the only one who understood her and her problems.

She wandered through the streets, admiring all the people for their 'freedom', but May wasn't the whining type.

She was followed by a little creature that could be compared to a stray cat, but it hid itself every time when May looked back. This little thing was seemingly interested in this girl.

The public school wasn't far away from her 'home', but far enough for her to forget her problems at home. Like every public school it wasn't the prettiest one and the pupils weren't taught a lot of subjects. All of that didn't bother May, because she couldn't ask for a better place to relax.

She reached the school twenty minutes before it started, but for her luck Dawn was already there as well. Every girl between seven and eighteen was taught at this school and that meant that this was the last year for both May and Dawn.

"Hello Dawn. I'm glad to see you." May hugged her friend. She couldn't express in words how much she missed her, but it wasn't necessary.

"Hi May. I'm happy that you're alright." The blunette hugged her back and noticed the scratch on May's hand.

"What happened to your hand May?" Dawn knew about the conditions in May's house and she wished that she could help her, but she was a teenage girl herself.

"Nothing important. It was Persian. I hate this cat, but it isn't something major." May shrugged it off, because it doesn't matter to her. She didn't want to talk about Jesse, Giovanni or Persian.

Suddenly May's stomach growled and this wasn't unnoticed by her blue-haired friend. May's face turned red in embarrassment and she pleaded her belly to stay quiet.

"Are you hungry May? Didn't you eat something for breakfast?" Dawn knew the appetite of her friend and she couldn't believe that May wouldn't eat something.

"Something happened and Giovanni forbade me to eat dinner last evening and breakfast this morning, but I don't want to talk about the details." May's face darkened. She remembered the smirk that Jesse gave her last day.

"That's unfair. Come on, you can eat some of my bread and an apple. I know it's not much but …" Dawn was always the helping-type and she couldn't see one of her best friends suffer.

"I can't accept that Dawn, I don't want to exploit you …. " the brunette tried to reason with her friend but it was senseless.

"That's no problem May. I already ate breakfast!" she exclaimed and gave May an apple and some bread. The orphan hesitated but took the food nevertheless.

"Thank you very much Dawn." May wanted to cry, but she stopped herself from doing that. She hugged her 'only' friend and began to eat, enjoying every bite of it.

"We only have two subjects today. Do you want to go to the park after that?" Dawn knew that there wasn't something that May would like more than being away from her house.

"Of course Dawn, I'd love too." May clasped her hands in front of her face with hearts in her eyes. Their was always the possibility that they could meet some boys. Their whole action was observed by the little follower of May.

"The school will start in a few minutes! Let's go to the classroom." Dawn was the average girl next door, but you couldn't ask for a better friend. Her parents were ordinary farmers, but it could be much worse. Look at May.

"I'm coming." May responded and trotted into the school building.

The whole school day that consisted of two subjects wasn't that noteworthy. Dawn and May only had to survive mathematics and spelling. Both girls of them were abnormal good at these subjects, but it didn't matter whether you are good or not. If you aren't a noble you would never achieve something in your life.

Everyone in this school was friendly, even the teachers. That was something that you couldn't say about the private schools.

Dawn and May finished their school duties in the early afternoon. And now they had enough time to visit the park. The two girls left the school and went to the park, not realizing that they were again followed by a small shadow.

They crossed the poor district and a small part of the noble district before they reached the beautiful park. You could say nothing bad about the park, because it was a park of a royal city. Only a quarter of it was accessible for the 'normal population', but that was enough for May and Dawn.

They found a small park bench and sat down. The small shadow thought it would be the best to hid inside on of those bushes.

"What should the perfect boy for you be like?" Dawn started with a casual question, at least in her opinion. She loved this small girl talks and May and her were so alike, except their appetites.

"I don't know ….. I think he should be independent and sweet, but you know that we can't be picky." May was sad. Dawn knew that she was right. It was only a dream that they could find their dream boy, but it wasn't forbidden to dream.

They were disturbed in their silence by a rustling bush and a small fur ball rolled out of it.

"What's that?" Dawn and May said in union, because they were surprised to see something like that in the city of government.

"Eevee? …"


End file.
